


Nico di Angelo and the Avengers

by Juuzous_Mother



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Crossover, I'll probably add more tags later, Like, M/M, Nico is a Dork, because I'm crossover trash, because that gives me life, but especially nico, everyone is a dork really, he's a cap fanboy, i feel bad because a lot of the characters I tagged are in there for like three seconds, i have no life, mama nat, nerdlord, only sometimes though, some shameless self-insertion, this is a shit storm, this is like 60 pages long on Doc and I'm still not done, what is happening
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-09 12:11:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5539496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juuzous_Mother/pseuds/Juuzous_Mother
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Chiron tells Nico he's to go to Avengers Tower, he is reluctant to agree. But when Rachel spews a prophecy, things... well, they go to shit.<br/>A new enemy is rising, and he's not afraid to play dirty. And, of course, that involves some kidnapping and mind-washing. Say it with me now: What. A. Dick.<br/>Nico will have to work with this team of six if he ever wants to save the world (again). But the gods know that might not be exactly as easily said as done- especially when a certain Mischief god (Jotun? Dickhead? Sexy motherfucker who has ruined the life of many? Who the fuck even knows.) shows up and drives the team into a fuckton of shit.<br/>How on Gaea's sleeping bosom will that work out for Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, Hero of Olympus, Ambassador of Pluto-- and total fucking nerd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Literally EVERYONE Ships Solangelo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Do I know what I am doing?  
> No.  
> Am I going to stop?  
> No.
> 
> ((Dedicated to user irrumambam because she puts up with my bullshit on Docs all the time. Especially with this. We've done things. TERRIBLE things))

It was about six months after the battle with Gaea, and a certain Italian demigod was in the Big House, sulking like a true son of Hades.

"Why do I have to go?"

"Because, Nico, Thor asked for demigod--"

"No, I know that. But why do _I_ have to go?" Nico whined, interrupting Chiron. "Why can't... literally _anyone else_ go instead?"

"Because," Chiron said patiently. "They need a good fighter, and there's no one at camp who is as skilled as you. Percy, Annabeth and Hazel are busy with school in New Rome, Frank and Reyna have Praetor duties to uphold, Leo is still missing, and Piper and Jason are off looking for him.

"If it makes you feel any better," the centaur continued. "It is technically a quest, and you may choose someone to accompany you and Miss Dare."

Nico glowered. "Why is Rachel coming, then?"

"Because," the Oracle chimed in, "Because... I don't know, actually. Apollo just said that I should be there."

"Great." Nico said dryly. "Very helpful. Fine. I'll accept this quest."

"Wonderful," Chiron smiled tightly. "You, Rachel and Will should start packing, then. Thor will send someone to pick you up at six thirty tomorrow morning."

"How did you know I was going to take Will?" Nico asked.

"How could I not?" Chiron replied with a knowing look.

Nico felt himself blush. "Fine. I'll let him know."

+++++

Will, as it turned out, had already packed.

"Yeah," the son of Apollo said after Nico found him in the infirmary. "Dad sent me a message, telling me to get my stuff together."

Nico raised his eyebrow, giving his boyfriend a once-over. "That wasn't the only thing he sent, was it?"

"No." Will answered, blushing. "He also sent me a haiku."

"What did it say?"

"Uhmm..."

"Will. What did it say?"

Will's skin was beet red. "It, uh... It said:

      you two are so cute

      you should make lots of babies

             plow his ass, son

Pretty bad, huh?"

Nico actually snorted. "Holy shit that's awful."

"Yeah," Will agreed.

"Literally just kiss!" Clarisse yelled from across the ward, her arm getting bandaged. The Apollo camper next to her, a girl named Julie, nodded in agreement.

Nico ducked his head, blushing furiously. "I'll, uh... I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait, Nico!" Will grabbed the younger boy by the arm, stopping him.

He paused for a minute, before leaning down to place a chaste kiss on Nico's lips. "See you tomorrow."

Nico was an entirely new shade of red as he all but ran out of the Infirmary.


	2. Nico Goes to the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All you need to know is that I have spent a lot of time thinking about what Nico's room looks like and this is the result
> 
>  
> 
> PS I hatelove Tony Stark

"Nico! Wake up!"

Nico did his best to ignore the banging on his door, but it was really, _really_ hard.

"Okay, gods, I'm up!" Nico groaned. "Stop banging on the door!"

Nico climbed out of his bed and, of course, tripped over his dufflebag.

"Shit!" he muttered harshly.

Ignoring the pain shooting through his knee, he stood up and stretched like a cat before glancing at the clock above the door. 6:00.

Sighing loudly, he donned the outfit he'd chosen the night before, stumbling only twice in his efforts to put on his black skinny jeans.

Another rapping on his door.

"Nico! Are you decent?" Now that Nico was somewhat awake, he recognized the voice.

"Yeah, come in." Will stepped through the door.

"You know, I'll never get over the fact that the beds in your cabin are _actually_ coffins."

"Yeah," Nico replied, "I'm thinking of convincing Chiron to let me get some new beds for in here." Nico gestured around his cabin.

It was carved from obsidian, and the rough black stone caught the light from both the greek fire torches placed throughout the room and from whatever natural light the tinted windows would allow in. Nico was in the habit of keeping a flashlight in his room, though that was really mainly for visitors, seeing as his abilities allowed him to see better in darkness than most. There was a mini-fridge in the corner of the main room, and a door leading to a private bathroom, which was probably there for two reasons: one, so he didn't have to socialize, and two, so he wouldn't terrify other campers in the morning. He'd have to thank Annabeth for that as well as the mist-spraying fountain that'd been installed after the war with Gaea so he could IM Hazel when she was at Camp Jupiter.

Nico _tried_ to make the cabin more his own. There was an antique record player atop a dark-stained table he'd bought, and beside it a stand filled with his records of his favorite music from both the forties and today. There were fairy lights strung throughout the room, and though they didn't do much to light the place, they still made it feel more homey. There were multiple books scattered across the place, as well as a fair share of comics. Nico had a small TV installed, stolen for him by the Stoll brothers, and somehow the twins had gotten him some VHS tapes, all of them about Captain America-- both documentaries (new and old) and some of the old propaganda films.

If there was one member of the Avengers Nico was nervous about meeting, it was the Captain.

"Well," Will said with some level of amusement. "I think they're funny."

Nico groaned. "I think they're as uncomfortable as some of the beds in the Fields of Punishment."

"Well, uncomfortable beds or no, you do need to get down to the Pavilion, else you miss breakfast."

"Breakfast is for losers. I never eat it."

"One, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so shut it. Two, the only reason you don't eat it is because you sleep until, like, noon."

"True." Nico shrugged on his jacket and slung his duffel bag on his shoulder.

"So let's go, before the nymphs decide starving us would be more fun."

"They wouldn't do _that_."

"Not to you, they wouldn't."

++++

Nico regretted eating such a big breakfast when he saw who was picking them up.

"Hey, kids!" Tony Stark said, face unmasked.

"Oh, no." Nico protested. "Bad idea. Really bad idea. No flying for Nico."

"Oh, c'mon, kid! Flying isn't that bad! I mean, sure, if you're afraid of heights..."

"It's not hights I'm afraid of," Nico gulped. "It's getting blasted out of the sky by Zeus I'm afraid of."

"Zeus?" Tony questioned.

"Didn't Thor tell you we were demigods?" Will asked. When Tony blinked unknowingly, he sighed. "You know. Children of _Greek gods_?"

"Probably," Tony waved his hand in dismissal. "I guess I wasn't paying attention. Now let's go. The ride to the Tower shouldn't be too long, so you don't have to worry too much, emo boy."

Before Nico could protest further, he was slung around Stark's back, Will and Rachel were under Tony's arms, and they were flying.

Nico tried to scream, but the wind silenced him, so he settled for clutching to Tony like his life depended on in--which it did-- and prayed Zeus wouldn't blast him out of the sky.

Tony was right. The flight there didn't take too long, but still Nico was as pale as Death (who he knew personally) when he landed.

"Never again," he panted, much to Rachel's' apparent amusement. He stood shakily and looked around. "Where are we?"

"Avengers Tower!" Tony grinned, face mask again up. "Welcome to the future, my friends!"

Nico was tempted to throw up over the side of the balcony they were on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S/O to Kira for making approximately 49% of the things I said sound dirty  
> And just so we're clear:  
> -Nico's music is an odd mixture of 40's music, emo bands (mostly MCR), and J-Pop  
> -Some of the comics are Stucky yaoi. Why? I am not sure but--  
> -Nico is a fanboy for personal health reasons  
> -Tony is a nerd, but you already knew that
> 
>  
> 
> To quote Kira:  
> "harkee these nerds are half GOD"  
> *sips capri sun and turns up music on earbuds* "lmao what"


	3. Nico is SUCH a Fanboy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shoots self in foot* this is so cliché what the fuck was I thinking months ago
> 
> Also this is one of the places there's some self insertion. Don't worry, I'm not a big part in it, I'm just kinda there to scream and create small potholes.

Avengers tower was a tall building in New York City, presenting a view that Nico was almost tempted to call beautiful, if being up so high wasn't as terrifying as it was for him. The New York skyline was brightening, the Chrysler Building gleaming in the sun.

"How tall even is this thing?" Nico asked, trying to hold down his breakfast.

"93 floors on the main tower (which you're on), 35 on the South Building, and 55 on the North Building." Stark smirked.

"Oh, gods," Nico groaned, doubling over.

"You okay?" Will asked, placing a calming hand on Nico's back.

Nico straightened up. "Just remind me to make a big sacrifice for Zeus."

"You guys are weird," Stark said. "Now c'mon. You should meet the rest of the team."

They were led inside, where five others were lounging around in groups of two or three.

Upon their entering, conversation stopped, all eyes landing on the newcomers.

Thor grinned wide. "Friends! Welcome to Avengers Tower! I am Thor, Son of Odin!"

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," Rachel said, holding out her hand for Thor to shake, "But you can call me Rachel or Red, either works. I'm the Oracle of Delphi."

"Will Solace, son of Apollo," Will grinned wide as Thor clasped his hand. Nico thought that they might be good friends.

"Nico di Angelo," Nico said when Thor's gaze met his. "Son of Hades."

"Wait." a familiar voice said. "Nico?"

Nico looked up and holyshitholyshit _holyshit_ it was _Captain America_. Like, okay, Nico knew that he would be here, and he _thought_ he'd be ready to meet him, but no, this was _Steve Rogers_ in the flesh and Nico could hardly keep from fanboying.

Stark turned towards the son of Hades with a raised eyebrow. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah," Nico said somewhat awkwardly. "He, uh, saved me from a few bullies back before the serum, and I met him once more when he was selling bonds."

Steve grinned warmly. "How's Bianca?"

Nico looked at the ground. "Dead," he said softly. "She, uh... She died on a quest."

"Oh... I'm sorry. God." Steve apologized sincerely, brow furrowed in compassion.

"It's fine." Nico said, and everyone knew that was bullshit but thankfully they were all kind enough to say nothing. Will laced fingers with his boyfriend in silent comfort.

"Anyway," Tony said, breaking the awkward silence. "As you know, I'm Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy--"

"Pighead," A woman with short red hair cut in. She sent the trio a nod. "Natasha Romanoff, otherwise known as the Black Widow."

"I'm Clint," a man with short brown hair said. "But I'm more often known as Hawkeye."

"Hoo boy people wow yes I know how to write those." A random girl said somewhat hysterically from the corner.

"Who's--" Rachel started.

"No idea," Nat replied. "She just kinda sits there and cries."

"FUCK TYPING!" the girl yelled.

"I'm Bruce," Another brunette said. I mean seriously? How many people have brown hair? Right. Most of the world. "I'm, uh, kinda the Hulk, I guess?"

"I'm Pepper, Tony's girlfriend," a strawberry blond said. She smiled at the boys. "If you'd like, I can take you to your r--"

Of _course_ , that was when Rachel had to spit out a prophecy.

"Seven must journey to the New World

And face the two who have unwillingly turned

Mischief will join their forces

And so eight shall have many discourses

To fight violent anger and rash action

The fighters must strengthen their transaction

And when in the fight the darkness hovers

The two men out of time must fight their lovers

And if they succeed then Mnemosyne will grant one request

To the hero who passed her nephew's test."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To quote Kira again:  
> fucking clint like
> 
> 'i am thor SON OF ODIN"  
> "CAPtsaIN AMERICA EAGLE CAWS"  
> "TONY MILLIONAIRE BBFFF"  
> "NATASHA ROMANOFF DDDDNNN"
> 
> "ya im clint"
> 
> The self insertion happened because I typed that and then jokingly had people respond to it and then I got too lazy to edit me out LET ME LIVE
> 
> Pretty much I just googled Titans to find a villain
> 
> PS the alternate prophecy is the Steven Universe theme song, but with typos, and "We always will be gay" instead of "We'll always save the day", and "Salty gay one" instead of Pearl.


	4. What the Hell Even WAS That?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *calls Avengers, Rachel, Will and Nico nerds*  
> Me: *is even bigger nerd*

The Oracle's vessel collapsed, and the son of Apollo rushed towards her.

Nico, standing to the right of Rachel, literally let out a small scream. "WHY CAN'T THINGS JUST BE SIMPLE FOR ONCE?"

"Uhh... is that... normal for you guys?" Clint questioned.

"Unfortunately, yes." Will replied grimly.

Rachel grunted as she awoke, Will helping her sit up. "What..." a quick survey of the room (the Avengers and Pepper standing in shock, Will and Nico's concerned faces, and the random stranger--was she cackling through tears?) answered her unspoken question. She sighed. "Ok. What was it?"

"Uhh..." Nico and Will looked uncomfortable.

"You didn't record it?" Rachel shrieked.

"Well, it happened suddenly--" Will tried to explain.

Unfortunately, he was cut off as the girl in the corner let out an annoyed huff. "It saaaaid:

Seven must journey to the New World

And face the two who have unwillingly turned

Mischief will join their forces

And so eight shall have many discourses

To fight violent anger and rash action

The fighters must strengthen their transaction

And when in the fight the darkness hovers

The two men out of time must fight their lovers

And if they succeed then Mnemosyne will grant one request

To the hero who passed her nephew's test.

You're welcome, nerds." She threw up a peace sign as she backed away into her corner.

"No, seriously," Rachel said. "Who _is_ she?" "

While that is a stunning question," Tony replied. "I'm more curious about what the hell that _was_."

"Like I said," Rachel shrugged. "I'm the Oracle. Well, technically, I'm the host for the Oracle. She lies dormant most of the time, but when the gods send down a prophecy, she takes over."

"And the green smoke?"

Rachel shrugged once more. "Probably something to do with Python. I really don't know."

"But what does it _mean_?" Nico interjected.

"Seven of us... But there are nine of us here..." Will sounded troubled. "And it's not _The_ Seven, because Leo's still gone..."

"New World..." Clint mused. "So the big bad is in the Bahamas. That's a nice change."

"The two who have unwillingly turned probably has something to do with why there's only seven of us fighting," Natasha offered.

"Mischief will join our forces, and his presence will cause fights among us..." Thor's brow was furrowed. "The only person I can think of who would have that power is Loki, but he is dead. It cannot possibly be him."

"Unless he tricked you again." the girl said. At everyone's curious gazes, she continued with a 'duh' tone. "Well, I mean, you thought he died once before, right? So who's to say he didn't trick you again?"

"But this time I _saw_ him die . He was stabbed through the chest."

She deadpanned. "He can do magic, and isn't it his thing to, like, trick you into believing things? Hey, I'm not saying that it _is_ Loki, I'm just saying that we shouldn't eliminate that _possibility_."

"You know more than you're letting on," Natasha determined with narrowed eyes.

"Yes." the girl agreed. "But if I told you everything, you wouldn't succeed on your quest." She turned back to her laptop.

"So we're fighting violent anger and rash action..." Nico started. "Oh, god, I hope it's not Ares we're fighting." Thunder rumbled. Nico grinned. "It's not Ares. Yay!"

"How do you know--"

Will cut Pepper off. "Well, Ares seemed to be pissed that Nico would even imply it was him, and he wouldn't do that unless it _really_ wasn't him and was instead someone he couldn't stand."

"Maybe they're talking about the Hulk," Bruce offered darkly.

"I don't think so," Tony said.

"Well anyway," Rachel continued. "To beat whoever we're fighting, those embarking on the quest will have to overcome whatever strife the eighth person brings. That's clear enough."

"The 'darkness hovers' thing makes no sense," Clint said around a mouthful of chips. "But the two men out of time..."

"Nico and I." Steve said. "They mean Nico and I."

 

"But why would I fight Will?" Nico questioned. "And I don't have a lover." Steve said, a crease between his brows. Then, he seemed to realize something, and horror filled his face. "I need to call Sam."

As he rushed out of the room, Tony said "Sam? Cap is dating Sam?"

"No," Nat said it like Tony was the dumbest person in the world.

"Then who?" Tony asked.

Nat facepalmed. "You're oblivious."

"Mnemosyne!" Will exclaimed. As everyone's head shot towards him, he bashfully explained. "I, uh... I recognized the name. She's the Titaness of memory."

"Right!" Nico said. "I've talked to her once or twice. She runs a pool in the Underworld. She's pretty nice. Talks about her kids a lot--she's very proud of them. She offered to help with my memories, but I declined," Nico rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I, uh... I decided it wasn't worth it. Things like that always come with a price. Luckily, she wasn't offended. She was actually pleased."

"And if it's one of Mnemosyne's nephews who we're supposed to fight, then it's definitely one of the second generations of Titans, which narrows it down quite a bit.." Bruce noted. When Nico looked at him with surprise, he blushed and said, "What? When Thor said there would be demigods coming over, I thought I should read up on some of the mythology."

"Which is better than Tony did," Nat said with a glare.

"I wasn't even listening," Tony replied proudly.

"But where in the New World would our enemy lie?"

"Oh, I can find that out no problem," Tony grinned. "I'll just monitor for any unusual activities in the area." Tony ran out of the room.

"I'll go make sure he's not watching porn again," Bruce sighed, following the eccentric billionaire.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Okay, so follow me, you three, and I'll show you to your rooms."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where did Clint get the chips??? I do not know.
> 
> I don't know what's HAAAPPPPEEENNNIIIIINNNG


	5. Nico's Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of these chapters have Nico's name in them, huh?  
> Well duh, he's the main character  
> Shut up me.  
> Make me. Or, you. Whatever.  
> (^why you don't let me do things alone)

It turns out that the three of them got their own fucking _floor_.

"Dang," Nico let out a low whistle. "Are all the rooms like this?"

"Originally, yes," Pepper smiled. "But everyone's decorated their floors to better suit them."

"You mean everyone has their _own_ floor?"

"Officially, they do," Pepper's smile turned into a smirk. "But Clint and Natasha share one. It's the one above yours, actually."

"Are they together?" Will questioned.

"No one really knows," Pepper replied. "Either way, they're pretty much inseparable."

"I ship it," Rachel said offhandedly. "Out of curiosity, do you guys have any art material I can use?"

"Ask Steve. He's quite the artist himself." Pepper led them towards two doors. "Now, there are only two rooms, so someone will have to share." Her smirk again. "But I don't think there will be an issue there."

Nico felt his face heat up as Pepper left the three teenagers to their own devices.

"Well," Rachel started. "I'm gonna go ask Steve if I can borrow a sketch book or something from him."

"Do you know what floor he's on?" Nico asked.

"Uhm... No...."

"I'm sure we could ask someone later." Will said. "

There's no need for that." A distinctly british voice carried through the room. The three of them jumped in surprise, hands shooting to their respective weapons. "My apologies. I did not mean to frighten you. I am JARVIS, an Artificial Intelligence program designed by Mr. Stark. Mr. Rogers resides two floors above you."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Rachel still sounded surprised. "You're welcome, Ms. Dare."

"Rachel," she said immediately. "Uhm. Please, call me Rachel."

"As you wish." JARVIS replied. "By the way, Mr. Stark wishes me to tell you lunch will be held in a few hours. Until then, you may explore the tower, except for the levels where Mr. Stark and Mr. Banner work. I would also advise not going into Ms. Romanoff's or Mr. Barton's room without their permission."

"Thank you, JARVIS." Will said.

++++++++

It was nighttime now.

While Rachel had gone to see Steve, Nico and Will explored the tower, only getting lost a few times, which was a major feat considering the place's size.

They had met a few of Stark's employees, including a man called Happy, who insisted they get badges. Nico's was on his bedside table.

It was a little awkward for him to share a bed with Will. I mean, sure, they were dating, but never before had they slept in the same bed. Maybe it was just his traditionalism, though, because Will didn't seem to be outwardly embarrassed.

"Good night, Nico." Will said softly from beside him.

"Night, Sunshine."

Nico prayed for a peaceful night's sleep. Of course, he didn't get it.

Instead, he got nightmares of Tartarus.

+++++++

_The suffocatingly dry, hot air smelled of sulfur as Nico tried to breathe it in. He felt the pain of blisters starting to form all around his body. Some distance to his left, a fiery glow cast shadows along the wall._

_He was in Tartarus again._

_Nico stumbled over to the source of the orange-ish light. A cliff. Below it, the River Phlegethon._

_Nico made his way down the cliffside, paying no mind to the cuts and bruises he acquired on the way down. When he finally reached the rocky shore, he beelined towards the fiery water._

_When he scooped it into mouth, he felt the fire spread through every cell of his body, and it hurt, but it also healed. So Nico walked along the shoreside for an immeasurable amount of time, until he ran into a goddess taking a sip from the fire-water._

_She was covered in dust, gray hair matted and tangled. Her nose dripped, and her clawed cheeks dripped ichor onto her ragged dress. When she heard Nico approach her, she looked towards him with sunken, black eyes._

_"Hi," Nico offered weakly. "I'm Nico di Angelo. You must be Akhlys."_

_The goddess rose to a good height. "Yes."_

_She regarded him with an evil glint in her eyes. "Oh, my. You carry so much sorrow, so much misery." She started to circle Nico. "Your sister abandoning you... Her death.... Seeing the boy you love with another."_

_"Shut up," Nico muttered, tears of anger and shame prickling behind his eyes._

_Akhlys continued on as though she hadn't heard him. "Your father's disappointment... Seeing your mother die...Your sister choosing to be reborn... So much more... I'm impressed you manage to carry on through all this. Aren't you?" She called over Nico's shoulder._

_Nico spun around. There, in front of him, was a small army of monsters._

_"What are you waiting for?" A Dracnae hissed. "Do your work upon him, ssso we may take him to Gaea."_

_"_ _Oh, there's not much I_ can _do to him." Akhlys smiled gleefully. She began to back away, into the shadows. "Do what you wish with him."_

_The army of monsters surged towards him. Nico tried to fight them off, but it was a futile effort. The monsters reformed just as fast as he cut them down. Soon, the army was upon him, and--_

"Nico! Nico!" a familiar voice called. "Wake up."

With a bloodcurdling scream, Nico shot up. Sweat dripped off his nose, his black hair matted to his head. Hot tears streamed down his face.

The door banged open, Rachel running into the room, Natasha and Clint not far behind her.

"What happened?" Natasha said, eyes scanning the room quickly. "I heard a scream--" Her voice cut of as she saw Nico, shivering and sobbing in fear.

"Nico," Will said gently. He moved so that he was straddling Nico's legs. He put a gentle hand on Nico's cheek. "What was it about?"

"Tartarus," Nico sobbed. "I-I was back in Tartarus. I was- the P-Phlegethon- Akhlys, she was- and the monsters--"

"Shh, shh," Will comforted. "It's alright. You made it out. You're not in Tartarus anymore."

Nico wrapped his arms around Will in a hug, violently crying into his shoulder. For a few minutes, the only noise in the room was Nico's sobbing.

Will pulled away. "Let me get you some water."

Nico nodded, retracting his arms.

"I'll be right back," Will said. He padded into the kitchen.

"Nico," Nat said softly, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. She almost drew back in shock upon feeling how cold it was. "Do you need to tal--"

There was a crash from inside the main room. "

NI-" Will's voice was cut off. There was another shatter, this one smaller.

Nico threw himself off the bed, grabbing his sword, and sprinted out of the bedroom, the others right behind him. Will was near the window, his arms in the claws of a few harpies. His eyes were wide with panic as they connected with Nico's, and he was dragged out of the broken window.

"WILL!" Nico cried, lunging for him. Natasha held him back, knowing that if he tried to grab Will, he would careen over the edge of the tower. "NO!"

Clint drew back his bow, arrow pointed straight towards a harpy.

"Don't!" Rachel shouted. She put a hand on his arm. "Your arrows won't do any good. Regular metal can't hurt monsters. And besides, even if they could, Will would just fall."

Letting out a frustrated huff, Clint lowered his bow.

Nico sank to the ground, and Natasha lowered herself with him. "He's gone," Nico said lifelessly.

Natasha rubbed comforting circles on his back. "JARVIS," she said softly. "Wake everyone else up and tell them to go to the Living Room."

"Yes, Miss Romanoff," JARVIS replied solemnly.

"Clint, Rachel," Natasha turned towards the two. "Tell them what happened."

"What about-"

Natasha cut Clint off. "I'm going to stay here with Nico."

Reluctantly, Clint nodded. "Let's go, kid."

Nico cried on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crying* I mean this is fine whatever
> 
> Will: I'm gonna go get you water
> 
> Me: HOE DON'T DO IT
> 
> Will: *goes*
> 
> Me: OH MY GODS
> 
> Will: I'll be right back
> 
> Me: NO YOU FUCKING WON'T
> 
> SCREEEEAAAMMMMMSSSSS
> 
>  
> 
> PS I have a playlist for both Stucky and Solangelo on Spotify you should check them out if you want.
> 
> Solangelo: https://play.spotify.com/user/rowanlaufeyson1/playlist/0BO1FM6ZNRXzfQuTHQPOcH
> 
> Stucky: https://play.spotify.com/user/rowanlaufeyson1/playlist/1r4oCH1DGGVTXrXckJGiBG


	6. The Coming Out That EVERYONE Saw Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lullaby. This is it: https://youtu.be/cJsTB-yB-uk
> 
> *lowkey changes the symbols for breaks from '+' to '~'*

It had been two hours since Will was taken, and Nico could feel his eyes drooping.

"You need sleep." Natasha said.

"I don't want to sleep. I'll just get another nightmare."

"So I'll stay with you," Natasha shrugged.

"You don't have to do that," Nico protested.

"I kinda do, kid. Now c'mon. Let's get you into bed."

Once Nico had gotten as comfortable as he could, he looked up at Natasha, lounging in one of the leather armchairs. "Thank you."

Nat smiled. "It's no problem. Now sleep."

He fell asleep to Natasha singing softly in Russian.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the light glistened off blond hair._

_"Will!" Nico cried. His voice was not heard._

_"I told you to bring me the Son of_ Hades _!" a man boomed from atop a throne of rock. He was tall, bronzed skin stretched tautly across rippling muscles. Red eyes gleamed malevolently beneath his shaggy black hair, and red armor covered a black tunic. By his side was a massive axe, made of a metal Nico recognized as Stygian Iron, the wooden handle painted red. Wow. A lot of black and red._

_"I'm sorry, my lord," a harpy squawked. "But-"_

_The man decapitated it mid-sentence. "SOMEONE TELL ME WHY YOU FAILED SUCH A SIMPLE TASK WITHOUT ALL THE DRIVEL!"_

_Another harpy stepped forward cautiously. "M'lord, the boy was with the son of Hades."_

_"_ _SO?"_

_"We believe that he is important to the boy."_

_"Just because he was with the Hades boy does not mean he is of import to him."_

_"My lord," the harpy said. "The boy is covered with the son of Hades' scent."_

_"Oh, really?" Now he was grinning. "Then I guess I won't kill you." He turned towards Will. "But what to do with you?"_

_"Maybe leave me alone?" Will said sarcastically, a glare on his face. The man backhanded Will._

_"SILENCE, SON OF APOLLO!"_

_Will stretched his jaw. "Who are you?"_

_"I AM MENOETIUS, SON OF IAPETUS AND CLYMENE, TITAN OF ANGER AND RASHNESS!!"_

I see why _, Nico thought._

_"My lord," a dracnae spoke up. "It might not be wissse to revea--"_

_With another swing of his axe, Menoetius turned her to dust._

_"DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO QUESTION MY DECISIONS?" he roared. The monsters within a twenty foot perimeter backed away._

_"Good," he grinned. "Now, son of Apollo. I know exactly what I'm going to do._

_"Soldier!" He called. "Why don't you come out and greet our new guest?"_

_A man walked out of the shadows. His long brunette hair fell to his shoulders, and he was outfitted in all black, save for a bronze chestplate and a pair of greaves. Combat knives were strapped all around his body. A metal arm gleamed in the sun. And yet, despite all these things, Nico recognized the man._

_"Bucky?" Nico said, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What-"_

_"Be quiet, young demigod." A woman's voice commanded. Nico turned around to face the speaker._

_"Mnemosyne?"_

_There the Titaness was, locked in a cage of bronze. Her blue dress pooled around her, dirtied and torn, and yet she looked ethereal. She nodded back towards Will. "Pay attention to them. The information will prove useful."_

_Nico obeyed. "_

_Well?" Menoetius asked impatiently. "_

_It will work," Bucky said, devoid of any emotion._

_"Good, good," Menoetius grinned manically._ _He placed a hand on Will's chest._

_"_ _Wha--" Will started to question him, but was cut off as some invisible force surged through him. His pupils swallowed his irises, only a thin line of blue left. Will was motionless, and the only reason Nico wasn't in a panic was because he could still feel Will's soul in his body. But it was strange, tainted, almost._

_"What is your name?" Menoetius asked._

_"It doesn't matter," Will replied flatly. "I am nothing but your pawn."_

_"_ _Will," Nico said, throat tight with tears. "No."_

_"_ _Nico," Mnemosyne's voice caught his attention. "Walk towards me."_

_Nico obeyed. He walked through the bronze cage without problem. "Yes, m'lady?"_

_"Look." She pointed towards the landscape outside the door to her cage. Multiple traps were strewn on the only path. A trip wire was closest to him, but a few inches from the prison. A narrow path was the only way to get to her, and on one side there was nothing but spikes, the other boiling water. A razor thin blade was at torso level just a few steps off the narrow path. And surrounding the whole thing was a wall of red, spiraling energy._

_"What_ is _that?"_

_Mnemosyne was grim. "Not even I truly know, but it is lethal. It covers the whole area, and the only way through it is the pathway." She smiled humorlessly. "Menoetius made sure it would be difficult for any hero to rescue me. Remember these traps well."_

_"Mnem--"_

_The Titaness cut him off. "You must awaken now."_

_With a snap of her fingers, Nico was taken out of the dream_.

In his bed, Nico's eyes flew open.

"Hey," Natasha said, noticing he was awake. "You alright?"

Nico looked at the ceiling. "JARVIS, are the others still in the living room?"

"Yes, Mr. di Angelo."

Nico rose from his bed, grabbing his sword as he made his way out of the room. Natasha followed him.

"Nico!" she called, stopping him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"You're crying." Nico touched his face, hot trails of tears wetting his fingers.

"Oh."

"What did you dream about?" she asked softly.

"Please just wait," Nico snapped. Then, more gently. "I don't want to have to tell it multiple times."

Natasha nodded. "Okay."

When Nico walked into the Living Room, heads snapped towards him.

"Nico, are you-" Nico cut Rachel off.

"Please. Don't."

"What's up?" Steve asked. His pyjamas were wrinkled, and there were heavy bags under his eyes. Despite his obvious state of tiredness, his face was drawn in concern.

"Uhm," Nico said, collapsing next to Thor on the couch. "So, I had another dream."

Rachel allowed a pause. "What about?"

Nico laughed humorlessly. "Sorry, just trying to think about... Whatever. So, uhm, first of all, I know who we're facing. His name is Menoetius, and he's the Titan of Anger and Rashness. Which, I guess, makes sense, what with the prophecy and all. He's kinda creepy, he has red eye-"

"Nico," Nat interrupted him.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Anyway, he, uh..." his voice went quiet. "He has Will. He... he did something to him. He's not- he said he was nothing but Menoetius' pawn. And, uhm..." Nico looked up at Steve. "Bucky's there, too."

A million emotions crossed Steve's face. "Wh-what?"

"I think Menoetius did the same thing to him that he did to Will."

"No," Steve said. His hands pulled on his hair, and his teeth were grit in anger and tears pricked his eyes. "Not again. I can't do this again."

It was then something dawned on Nico. "Bucky is the one in the prophecy, isn't he?" he asked. "The one you're supposed to fight?"

"But it said Steve would fight his lo-" Tony stopped, and his eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Oh my god. I- oh."

Steve glared at Tony. "Is this a problem for you, Stark?"

"No! No," Tony said. "I just... with what Howard had said about you... Sorry."

There was an awkward silence in the room.

"Well," Clint said. "Breakfast, anyone?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angels sing. Trumpets sound. People are cheering in the streets.
> 
> Finally, Tony Stark has realized how Super Mega Hella Gay™ Steve Rogers is for Bucky Barnes
> 
> Did the greeks even have axes?? I do not know, and I do not care. Wait yes they do ha.
> 
> Also SU Jasper is confirmed Menoetius 
> 
> alSO MAMA NAAAATTTT
> 
> CLINT IS A DORK
> 
> I am trash.


	7. In Which Fury Trusts Natasha's Judgement (Only Tony is Surprised)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I both love and hate Nick Fury it's weird

Breakfast was great, until a man in an eyepatch stormed in, a grumpy look on his face. Nico's hand moved towards his sword on instinct.

"Hey, Fury," Tony said through a mouthful of hashbrowns. "What's up?"

"What's up?" Fury repeated incredulously. " _What's up_ with you bringing three people in without telling me first?!"

"Didn't Tony tell you?" Clint asked. "Thor called in a few favors for the activity in San Salvado- hey!" Clint smiled brightly, apparently very proud of himself. "San Salvador Island! I bet that's where Menoetius is!"

"Menoetius?" Fury raised an eyebrow.

"He's the Titan of Anger and Rashness." Rachel informed him.

"Who the hell are you?" Fury asked.

"Rachel. That's Nico, by the way."

"And where's the other one?" Fury eyed them distrustfully. "My... sources say there were three people who arrived yesterday."

"He's gone." Nico said tersely. "Where did he go?"

"He didn't _go_ anywhere."

"Then wh-" Fury stopped when he saw Natasha's warning glare. He decided on a different question. "What are you?"

"Well," Nico replied. "Is that really any of your business?"

"Listen, kid-"

"Nico," Steve said. "You should tell him. He'd probably find out anyway."

"Fine," Nico sighed. "And I might as well do the whole title this time.

"I am Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades," he paused, more for dramatic effect than anything. "I am the Ghost King, Ambassador of Pluto, and a Hero of Olympus. I am a survivor of Tartarus, and I helped return the Athena Parthenos."

"And I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare," Rachel cut in before Fury could even process what Nico had said. "Oracle of Delphi."

"And the other boy?" Fury asked cautiously.

"He is William Solace," Nico said. "Son of Apollo and Hero of Olympus."

"Hm," was Fury's reply. "So. Greek Mythology is real."

"You don't sound that surprised," Bruce noted.

Fury shrugged. "Eh. After learning that there are aliens in this universe, nothing really surprises me." He started towards the door. "Whatever. If Natasha trusts them, I guess it's alright." A pause. He turned so that his face was in profile. "And by the way," he drawled. "Stark didn't tell me anything."

With that, Fury watched out, though Nico saw him plant one or two small cameras around the floor.

"Who _was_ he?" Rachel asked.

"Nick Fury," Clint replied. "He's director of SHIELD."

"You do know he planted a few cameras," Nico said with a raised brow.

"Honestly I'm surprised that's all he did," Tony turned to Natasha. "He must really trust you."

Nat smirked. "Follow his orders without complaint, and he tells you things." She looked thoughtful. "Also, I've never been wrong before."

"So," Thor looked thoughtful as he munched on a Pop Tart. "We know our foe is most likely at the Island of San Salvador, but what is our plan of attack?"

Nico sipped on his coffee. "Well, first of all, you all need weapons."

Ton raised an eyebrow. "We have weapons."

"Yeah," Nico rolled his eyes. "But you need weapons that will actually work against monsters." He paused, considering. "Well, I guess you're going to have to go to Camp. First, though, we all need to get dressed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So??? This started off a filler???? But then it kinda wasn't????? I hate writing????
> 
> "I might as well do the whole title this time" aka I am Proud of my son
> 
> Me: Thor isn't as obsessed with poptarts as the fandom makes him out to be  
> Me:....  
> Me: But he's eating them anyway


	8. Percy Jackson, Meet The Avengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jsyk, "Mike" is Michael I'm just lazy.

"I, Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, hereby give Anthony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor Odinson, Natalia Alianovna Romanova, Steven Rogers and Clinton Barton permission to enter Camp Half-Blood."

Cautiously, the Avengers stepped forwards, throwing cautious looks towards Peleus.

"Woah," Clint said as soon as he crossed the border. "That is... woah."

Rachel grinned. "You get used to it."

"Nico!" a voice called, running up to them.

"Percy?"

"Hey." Percy grinned, panting, as he stopped in front of Nico.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in college?"

"Nah, we're on break." He waved his hands, and some water flew out of the grass. "Whoops." It was then he noticed the Avengers. "Who're they?"

"Chiron told you about my quest, right?" At Percy's confirming nod, Nico continued. "Yeah. Well, Percy Jackson, meet the Avengers. Avengers, meet Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon, and my dork of a cousin."

"The dork of a cousin you had a crush on for five years," Percy corrected in a sing-song voice.

Nico groaned. "I thought I told you to never bring that up again."

"How am I not your type?" Percy asked teasingly. "I mean, look at me!"

Nico felt like visiting his father. The hard way. "I hate you."

"Well, apparently no-" Percy was cut off as Nico punched him halfheartedly. "Ow! You're almost as bad as Annabeth."

Tony finally seemed to have regained his voice. "You- the grass-"

"Yeah," Nico said. "That's new."

Percy shrugged. "I learned some things at college. Surprisingly. Hey, Rache."

"Hey, Percy," Rachel said, grinning. "How's Annabeth?"

"She's good," Percy replied. "She's studying architecture."

"Of course," Nico smiled.

"Question," Natasha raised her hand. "How come we couldn't see this place until we stepped in?"

"Enchantments, the Mist," Percy answered. "Stuff like that, mostly. Probably other things. I don't know."

"How have you even survived this long?" Nico huffed as they started across the greenery.

"Annabeth," was Percy's immediate response.

"What's the Mist?" Nat questioned.

"It's this substance that... uh... shields mortals' eyes from everything demigodish-- monsters, weapons, stuff like that." Nico answered.

"Hey," A crease formed between Percy's brow. "Where's Will?"

~~~~~~~~~

"So, let me get this straight," Percy said. They were all inside the Big House, Chiron listening intently, and Mr. D alternating between glaring at Thor and staring at the wall passively. Annabeth was sitting next to Percy, their hands laced. "Menoetius kidnapped Will and did some magic thing that made him, like, a zombie?"

"Not a zombie," Nico snapped. "But more like... A mindless minion."

"I hate those little yellow bastards," Tony muttered darkly. Natasha hit him in the side. "Sorry."

"Well," Chiron said dryly. "I hate to state the obvious, but this does not sound good. In fact, it sounds very bad.

"Menoetius' presence, like Ares', causes an extreme anger to overtake all those with mortal blood, and it drives them to make rash decisions." Chiron looked each of them in the eye. "This means that all of you must be careful in your strategies."

"Well," Nico said with a serene smile that definitely did not match the unadulterated rage in his eyes. "I don't think that that dickhead's presence will do much to me anger-wise."

Bruce, who was on Nico's right, casually scooched away from him, and Natasha, on his other side, tensed.

"Nico-"

"Mr. do Gelato," Mr. D said offhandedly, cutting Annabeth off mid-sentence. "Would you please release the shadows?"

"do Gelato?" Thor looked thoroughly puzzled.

"It's di Angelo," Nico corrected, though he knew it wouldn't do much. The shadows leaked back into their corners.

"Whatever," Mr. D waved his hand in dismissal.

"Yeah," Percy grinned. "Mr. D usually purposefully screws up every camper's name. If you hear him use your actual name, it means you are completely and utterly screwed."

"Pietro's right," Mr. D confirmed.

"Well, now that this has been settled," Chiron clasped his hands. "I do believe you are all in need of weapons?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Steve answered.

Chiron seemed to be considering something. "I do believe it would just be easier for the Hephaestus Cabin to modify and add to the weapons you already have. If you would follow me."

Chiron lead them across the grass.

"Woah," Clint said in awe. "Is that climbing wall spewing lava?"

"Yep," Annabeth answered with a smile. "Adds an extra difficulty."

"You don't say," Nat said, looking impressed.

Chiron knocked on the door to Cabin Nine. It was a large brick structure, smokestacks sticking out of it, casting a long shadow over the doorstep. Overall, it looked like a miniature factory. There was a whirring as gears turned in the door

"Hello?" A girl stuck her head out of the door, dark brown hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Shock covered her face. "Chiron. What's up?"

Chiron smiled. "Hello, Nyssa. I've come to you to ask if you and your siblings could help these people with some weapons?"

Nyssa regarded the Avengers with wide eyes. "Woah." She shook her head. "Ok, yeah, sure. Step right in, you guys."

"Uh, we'll wait for you out here," Percy said.

One by one, the Avengers and Nico filed into the cabin.

Nico looked around in interest. The walls were made of a thick metal, steel bunks folded against the wall, digital control panels on each one of them. A fire pole came down from a second floor, and there was a circular staircase leading downwards. The cabin floor was messy, bits of metal and discarded clothes strewn all over.

"Right this way," Nyssa said, leading them down the staircase.

At the bottom was a basement, filled with scrap metal, power tools, and weapons. A workbench was pushed to the wall, and was currently occupied.

"Hey, Mike," Nyssa called. "We got some weapons requests!"

Mike spun around in his chair. "Nico! Hey! Who're these guys?"

"I'm Natasha," Nat started. "That's Clint, Steve's the one with the shield, Thor's the big blonde one, Bruce is the brunet, and that drooling idiot over there is Tony."

"Woah, like Tony Stark?"

"That's me," Tony said, though he looked distracted, scanning the weapons and half-finished machines in wonder. "This place is so cool."

Mike laughed. "You haven't even seen the best of it, man."

Tony looked about ready to piss himself in joy.

"Anyway," Nico said, stopping the conversation before Tony was lost in a fanboy glee. "They need weapons that will actually work on monsters. It's mostly just some modifications or additions, but..."

Mike waved a hand. "Sounds fine. Lemme see what you got-- one at a time, please."

Steve was first. He placed his shield on the table, earning a low whistle from Mike.

"Vibranium. Nice." he inspected the disk. "Hm. I can add some celestial bronze to the edge of this, maybe in some grooves..."

"It won't change the weight, will it?" Steve asked in concern.

"Nah, I'll make sure it doesn't."

"Sounds good, then."

Next was Natasha, who dumped numerous guns onto the table, as well as a few small explosives, throwing knifes, daggers, darts (complete with a blowgun) and gas canisters.

"Damn, girl." Mike said.

Nat shrugged. "A girl's gotta be prepared."

Mike looked at the weapons in consideration. "Alright. I think we can modify the guns so that they'll shoot both regular bullets and Celestial Bronze ones. We can make you some darts, make a few throwing knives, replace some of the dagger blades, and put some Celestial Bronze shrapnel or Greek Fire in some of the bombs."

"Greek Fire?"

"It's green. It's hard to put out. It burns under water. It's awesome."

Nat nodded. "Okay."

Clint was up next. He placed his bow and arrows down along with two guns.

"I can modify these guns too. For the arrows, I can make some celestial bronze tips, as well as a few that will set off some Greek Fire."

"Dude, yes."

Thor came after that.

"I do not think that there is much of anything you can do to Mjolnir, but perhaps you could build me a battle axe?"

Mike shrugged. "Sure. I'll just need a few designs for it."

Thor grinned. "I could sketch it out for you right now."

Mike returned Thor's grin. "Sure. There's some paper over there."

As Thor sketched out his idea for an axe, Tony stepped forward eagerly.

"I have an idea for the suit," Tony said with a boyish smile on his face. He bent down and whispered something in Mike's ear.

"Dude," Mike's eyes were wide in excitement. "That would be awesome! But..." his face was suddenly drawn in contemplation. "How would we do that?"

Tony's smile turned devilish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't physically resist throwing Percy in here. Also, Annabeth'll probably be more in the bg BC SHE'S TOO PERFECT FOR ME TO WRITE AKFJSDRGFSDJ
> 
> WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO LET STARK WITHIN A TEN FEET PARAMETER OF THE HEPHAESTUS CABIN????  
> right. me. 
> 
> I'M CRYING I CALLED PERCY PIETRO
> 
> WILL PIETRO AND WANDA EVEN SHOW UP IN THIS FIC??? IDK????
> 
>  
> 
> SOOOOOOO okay I know Percy would TECHNICALLY be retaking like.... sophomore year I think?? Maybe junior???? Idk. But anyway, he isn't, because New Rome covers preeeetty much all of that stuff, and Percy feels like he should get through college sooner rather than later, because, you know, life of a demigod and all that.


	9. Story Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I change 'tenses a few times here but meh
> 
> Percy Jackson is the straight   
> ally the LGBTQA+ community desperately wants and deserves.

Tony's brilliant idea was for him to stay behind at Cabin Nine to help with the modifications, and since no one really had a problem with it, that's what he did.

This left everyone else with a very important decision.

"What to do now?" Bruce asked after about their third time circling the Camp.

Percy's face lit up. "I know!"

Nico's eyes widened as he realized what Percy was going to suggest. "Oh, no, let's not-"

"How about Nico tells you how he and Will got together!"

The Avengers looked at him with expectant eyes.

"No, really, I don't think that's necessary." Nico discouraged, hands splayed.

"Pleeeaaaaase?" Clint begged. "If you do I'll tell you how Nat and I got engaged!"

"Wait, you're engaged?" Steve asked, befuddled. "For how long?"

"I did not know that you were even courting," Thor added, sounding vaguely surprised as well. "Though I do admit, I did have my suspicions..."

"Tony is gonna be so mad he wasn't here to hear you guys say that," was Bruce's only response.

Nico sighed dejectedly. "Fiiine. But we aren't gonna tell it here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moment all of them were settled in Nico's cabin, the story began. "Okay," Nico started. "Where do I start..."

"The Infirmary," Percy said, shoving popcorn into his mouth. Seriously, where did he even get that?

"Okay," Nico said again. "So, it was just after a war with Gaea, and I had overused my powers to the point where I couldn't even summon one of those tiny little bones in your ear without Fading...

_It was a bright day, and the sun beat down on the residents of Camp Half-Blood as they went about their business._

_It was just three days after Gaea's attack, and yet the Campers milled around as though nothing had happened. And for those three days, Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, Ghost King, whose name made monsters shiver in fear..._

_Had been lying around the Infirmary in a pair of sun pyjamas._

_Yes, that's right. Nico di Angelo, who had been stuck in the Infirmary for three straight days on bed rest, was stuck in a pair of pyjamas covered in little sunglasses-adorned suns. And now that his sentence was up, Nico was itching to get back in the clothes he'd had Hazel drop off in Cabin Thirteen._

_Just as soon as he stood up, though,  Will Solace was blocking his path._

_"_ _Excuse you," Will said, crossing his arms and giving Nico a stern look. "Who said you could get up?"_

_"You said three days," Nico shot back, fighting down those gods-damned skeletal butterflies that always seemed to flutter around in his stomach whenever Will was around. "It's been three days. I'm leaving." Nico tried to maneuver past Will to no success. "_

_You still look like death." Will noted._

_"I always look like death. I_ am _death."_

_Will looked entirely unimpressed. "Well death will just have to hold his skeletons, because right now he can't stand properly without threatening to fall over."_

_"Fine," Nico pouted, sitting heavily on the bed. "But someone needs to get me my clothes out of my cabin."_

_"_ _I think you look cute."_

_"Regardless of whether or not I look_ cute, _" Nico spat out the word as if it were poison in his mouth, "I think that if I hear one more snide comment from Clairesse, I'll set a skeleton on her, Fading be damned."_

"We bickered like the stubborn idiots we were for about three months," Nico said, smiling fondly.

"What happened next?" Clint asked. He'd mooched some popcorn off of Percy, and he was shoving some into his mouth with wide eyes.

Nico glared half-heartedly. "I'm getting there. Chill."

_Three months after Nico's unwilling stay in the Infirmary, Will Solace was roaming aimlessly around Camp. That was, until Jason, back at Camp for a short break in the Leo-Hunt, flew up in front of him, a boom box blaring Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" loudly._

_"Will I have something to say, say, say, say," Jason sang in the tune of the chorus. "Nico di Angelo is gay, gay, gay, gay; how much longer will you wait, wait, wait, wait until you ask him out-"_

_"Ask him out!" Apollo finished, appearing from behind Jason._ _Laughing, the two hi-fived before flying off._

_For a good minute, Will stood there, processing what had just unfolded before his eyes. Then, the realization kicked in, and Will ran in the direction he had seen Nico last._

_"NICO!"_

_"_ _I'm right here, jeez," Nico rolled his eyes playfully. "What is it?" He asked, regarding the doubled-over Will in front of him with a mild curiosity._

_Will looked up, panting, his cheeks pink with more than just exertion. "I- uhm... Will you walk with me?"_

_"Sure," Nico said, eyeing him with something akin to caution._

_As they passed the Apollo cabin, the voices of Will's siblings harmonize. "Shalalalalala my oh my, why is Will so shy- go on just kiss Nico--"_

_Will lead the both of them away quickly, and for a while they walked in an embarrassed silence._

_"So," Nico started just as they passed the Zeus Cabin. "What's u-"_

_He was cut off as a strong bout of wind blew him into Will. Walls of rock shot up around them, though Nico noted eyeholes in the fissure, three pairs of eyes peering through-- one blue, one gold, and the last a sea green. Jason, Hazel and Percy, Nico realized._

_A light shade of pink dusting his cheeks, Nico began to apologize, though he made no move to distance himself from Will (which was definitely only because there wasn't any extra room, not because he liked how warm Will felt pressed against him). "I, uh, sor-"_

_Will cut Nico off with a kiss, and for a few seconds, Nico was frozen in shock. Then, gradually, Nico melted into it, and it was perfect-- Until five gallons of water crashed on their heads, causing the two to break apart in shock._

_"HERE," Percy shouted. "HAVE AN UNDERWATER KISS, BECAUSE YOU'RE EACH OTHERS' TYPE!"_

_The rock walls fell back into the earth, and the bemused faces of Jason, Hazel and Percy fell when they saw the murderous glares directed at the latter._

_"Oh, schist," Percy said, eyes wide._

_"JACKSON!" Will's normally soothing voice was loud and incredibly terrifying._

_"_ _Run," Jason offered._

_"Fast," Hazel added, noting the deadly look on her brother's face._

_Percy heeded their advice, making a beeline for the lake. His terrified screams caused many campers to stick their heads out their doors, curious as to what could_ possibly _scare a Hero of Olympus. When they saw an angry Will and Nico chasing him and screaming profanities, their questions were answered and, satisfied, they went back to whatever they had been doing before._

"And that," Nico finished, "is how Will and I got toge-"

"Wait," Percy interrupted again. "You need to tell them about what happened when Will met your dad!"

"That _is_ a good story," Annabeth agreed.

"Ugh. Fine. Here we go, then."

A _few weeks after the Fiasco That Made Will and Nico FINALLY Get Together (RIP Jackson), as it was dubbed, Nico decided to take Will to meet his father._

_"So," Will squeaked. "Dinner. With your dad."_

_Nico rolled his eyes. "You're just getting nervous_ now _? We're literally right about to go in."_

_Will glared at him. "Hey. You can talk when you have to have dinner with your boyfriend's father-- who just so happens to be the Lord of the Dead."_

_Nico was about to say something sassy in reply when the doors opened._

_There Persephone stood, a grin on her face. "Come on in, boys. Dinner's ready."_

_"_ _Lady Persephone," Nico said with surprise. "I mean no offense, but what are you doing here? It's spring."_

_"Please, Nico, just call me Persephone," she insisted. "And as your Stepmother, I think I need to meet your boyfriend, too!"_

_Nico, still unused to Persephone actually_ liking _him, simply nodded, allowing her to lead him and Will to the dining room. At the head of the table sat Hades, wearing a simple suit on which the souls of the particularly wicked were pushing against the fabric, faces drawn in agony. "_

_Father," Nico bowed his head in respect. "This is Will Solace, Son of Apollo."_

_"_ _My Lord Hades," Will said, kneeling. "It is an honor to meet you."_

_The corners of Hades' mouth twitched up in amusement._

_"Rise, Son of Apollo." Hades regarded Will with a raised brow, though his eyes were not cold._

_Will and Nico sat at the table, the former looking somewhat on edge._

_"_ _Tell me," a malicious-looking grin spread across Hades' face. "Why did the sun go to school?"_

_Nico groaned. "Oh my gods, Dad, stop."_

_Hades glared playfully at his son. "Shut up son, this is a good one!"_

_"Uh," Will's brows were drawn together in complexion. "I don't quite understand..."_

_An actual smile crossed Hades' face, and Nico looked at an equally shocked Persephone with wide eyes._

_Nico turned towards his boyfriend, desperation written across his face. "Will, don't listen to him--"_

_"TO MAKE HIMSELF BRIGHTER!" Hades crowed. And then he laughed._

_Contrary to popular belief, Hades' genuine laugh was not cold, nor was it grating. It was quite the opposite, in fact._

_Once, when Nico was wandering around Elysium, he ran into Achilles and Patroclus. They had told him of the time their souls found each other, how their joy and love was so great, it was as if a blinding, godly light burst forth the moment their souls met._

_Hades' laugh was that._

_Will blinked. Then, a slow smile spread across his face. "Oh, that's a good one! Okay, my turn. Why do you have to wear sunglasses when you're hot?"_

_Nico banged his head on the obsidian table a few times._

_"WILL NO."_

_A massive grin split his face. "BECAUSE SUNGLASSES MAKE YOU COOLER!"_

_Will and Hades laughed together for a good five minutes, the duration of which was accompanied by Persephone's amused smile and Nico's embarrassed groans._

"And that," Nico sighed, "is how Will got accepted into the family." He winced. "Oh, shit, that was a bad choice of words."

"Accepted into the family?" Percy waggled his eyebrows. "Anything you wanna tell us?" He jokingly looked at Nico's left hand. "Is there a big shiny rock on that hand you wanna show us?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Shut up!"

"Wait, wait," Clint held up one finger. "You're telling me that the God of the Underworld is a fuckin nerd who makes bad puns?"

Nico expected thunder to rumble. Nothing happened "Uh, yeah," he said distractedly.

"Well I guess Hades agrees with that statement," Annabeth noted. "Huh."

"Ok," Nico raised an eyebrow. "Any more stupid questions?"

"Why are you so chill right now?" Percy questioned.

"I mean, like, if I were in this situation, I'd be in a puddle of tears right now."

"Oh, trust me," Nico smiled serenely. "On the inside I'm all but drowning in tears and anger. I'm just good at hiding it."

Percy shifted away from him. "I see," he squeaked.

"I have a question." Natasha said calmly. "You said you were in a war. Why the hell were you fighting in a war?"

Percy, Nico and Annabeth exchanged glances.

"Oh, boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration for everything about how Solangelo got together was taken from Tumblr, because where else would I get the idea for Jason and Apollo to sing a parody Shake it Off together?
> 
> *cries bc the TSOA references kill me every fucking time*


	10. GsFDI, Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trash, just in case you couldn't already tell.

So, it turns out that Nico telling his story lead to literally everyone telling their stories, most of which made Nico want to track people down and send them to Tartarus- and with Nico's fatal flaw being "holding grudges", he knew that those feelings wouldn't go away anytime soon.  
Tony had joined them at about midnight, adding in his own (very lengthy and somewhat narcissistic) story, and his face when he heard about Clint and Natasha's engagement was priceless. Nico wished he'd had a phone, just so he could save that image forever.  
"What?!" Stark had said, his face child-like in wonder. "You two are engaged?"  
"Yes, Tony," Clint had replied, obviously amused. "We're engaged."  
Tony pumped a fist in the air. "CLINTASHA IS REAL!"  
Now, about twelve hours later, the group made their way down to lunch, heavy bags under their eyes.   
Nico collapsed at the Hades table, the Avengers not far behind. Food appeared on their plates- gyros.   
Nico raised a brow; this was unhealthy by the nymph's standards. But then a giant greek salad appeared on a side plate, and Nico's brow went down.  
Nico stood up, plate in hand.  
"Where are you going?" Bruce asked.   
Nico nodded towards the brazier. "Over there. You guys don't have to join me."  
They exchanged looks before standing. They followed Nico, but before he scrape off some of his food, he was stopped by Tony.  
"Woah, wait," said Tony with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"  
"It's a tradition," Nico shrugged. "You throw in the best of your food to the gods. They like the smell."  
Nico scraped in some of his salad and gyro. "For all of the gods - allow me to... to get Will back."  
He stepped back, letting the others go through. Tony was next, and, reluctantly, he scraped a bit of his food in.  
When they sat down again, Bruce turned to Nico with a question.  
"Why didn't you burn any food when you ate with us?"  
"We don't have to sacrifice to the gods on a quest. And that's why I scraped an extra-big portion in today."  
"Hey," Tony said. "Where are the drinks?"  
Nico smiled. "Just ask the nymps for what you want. They can give you any drink in any color - but no alcohol."  
Tony pouted. "Fine."  
Nico looked at his glass. "Some espresso, please."  
There was a slight breeze, and Nico's cup was filled with steaming espresso.  
Clint looked at his glass eagerly. "Can I have some purple Dr. Pepper, please?" A purple, bubbly liquid appeared in his cup. Clint's eyes were wide in excitement. "Dude, that is so cool!"  
Nico sipped on his coffee at the exact moment there was a banging on the border.  
All but slamming his cup down, he stood, exchanging glances with Percy and Annabeth.   
They lead the other demigods to Thalia's Pine, the Avengers right behind them. There to meet them was a man in gold and green armor, brown leather accenting it.  
"No way," Tony gasped.  
"Who are you?" Percy asked, Riptide uncapped and in his hand.   
The man glared at them. "I am Loki, King of Asgard. I come to you with urgent news."  
Nico's hand tightened on his sword. So this was Loki?   
Percy's jaw tightened. "So tell us."  
"Loki?" Thor interrupted, shock lacing his voice. "But - you are dead."  
Loki groaned. "Oh, no. What are they doing here?"  
Nico looked at him without any emotion. "They're on a quest with me."  
"Uh, Nico," Percy started hesitantly, "Do you guys want to deal with him."  
"Please," Natasha growled.  
Percy nodded. "Okay."

Annabeth turned to the other campers. "Alright, guys! Nico and these guys are gonna deal with him! Go back to lunch!"

There was murmuring in the crowd, but they reluctantly obeyed her. As they filed out, Percy sent one last look back at the cluster, a warning in his eyes. Be careful, they said, and don't let him in unless you think you can trust him.  
Nico stepped across into the mortal territory. "So," he said, looking Loki up and down with a glare. "You're Loki?"  
"Yes-" Loki was cut off as Nico's fist connected with his nose. "Ow!" He glared at Nico, clutching his nose. "What was that for?"  
"That was for... oh, let's see.... For Clint... For Manhattan... For being a dick...For letting Thor think you were dead..." he paused. "The list goes on quite a bit."  
"But did you have to punch me so hard?"  
Nico smiled sweetly. "I was holding back. And anyway, I thought you'd prefer a punch to Natasha killing you?"  
Loki gulped.  
"Loki," Thor said, stepping forward. Two very different emotions battled across his face: Relief and rage. "I thought you dead." He repeated his earlier words, brows furrowed.   
Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, that was rather the point."  
"Why?" Tears pricked at Thor's eyes.   
"You think I would have willingly have gone back to that prison?" Loki glared. "With moth- Frigga gone, it would have been the worst form of torture."  
Nico raised a single eyebrow; Loki's words only confirmed the sneaking suspicion Nico'd gotten when he was told of the mischief-god: Loki had even bigger family issues than Luke Castellan. And that's certainly saying something.   
"What did you do?" Thor asked, voice thick with tears. "After we left you- what did you do?"  
Loki's face was expressionless. "I went back to Asgard and payed Odin a visit." He noticed Thor's horrified face. "Oh, relax. I didn't kill him. I just threw him in my cell. You recall your heroic spiel about wanting to remain on earth with your precious Jane rather than become Asgard's king? That was me, you oaf. Do you honestly think Odin would have let you leave? Do you really think he would let you do so with your Mjolnir?" Loki sneered. "Your father was many things, but generous was not one of them; not unless he had some sort of hidden motive, and what would he gain from you keeping your hammer though you would most likely never return to Asgard? You are a poor judge of his character indeed."  
Rage spread quickly across Thor's face. "He took you in as a child! Does that count for nothing?"  
Loki's equally angry expression countered Thor's words. "Odin never did that for me! He did it to try and connect with a race he had warred with for centuries!" Tears flooded Loki's eyes, and his voice had a softer, more vulnerable tone than before. "Odin told you of how he so benevolently took me in after finding me, abandoned as but a baby, did he not? That was a lie. I journeyed to Jotunheim, where I met with my older sister. She told me what really happened. I was there for a blessing- my mother was worried about my small size and so she took me to the priests in hope that they could help me. But before they could do anything, Odin came with his army and he slaughtered everyone there." A tear slipped from his eye. "I was taken purely for politics, not from the good of your father's heart."  
There was a moment of silence. Then:  
"Well," Nico said, clasping his hands together. "That was emotional. Now what new was it you had for us?"  
"The Titan Menoetius-"  
"We know." Tony interrupted.   
Loki glared at him. "He's on the island of San Salvador-"  
"That we also know."  
"He has the Titaness-"  
"Mnemosyne hostage?" Tony finished with a smirk. "Yeah, we know that too."  
"I have come to offer my help." Loki said loudly.   
"That," Tony said, looking vaguely impressed, "we didn't know."  
"Why should we trust you?" Clint glared.   
"And why would you even want to help?" Nat asked with narrowed eyes.   
"Well, I'm not saying you should trust me," Loki smiled amusedly. "But you should trust I want Menoetius gone as much as you do."  
"Why?" Natasha repeated.   
"Menoetius would be a threat to my reign should he succeed." At Nico's shocked look, Loki rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly think that he would stop at Midgard?"  
"I did hope so." Nico said wistfully. He sighed. "But I guess things are never really that easy." Nico crossed his arms, looking at Loki with one of his infamous death-stares. "What would you offer us?"  
Loki smirked. "Well I'm not awful at strategy, and I am quite good at magic. Oh," Loki continued, noticing Nico's unimpressed glare. "That and an army of Frost Giants."  
Nico thought for a minute. On one hand, they could use the numbers- an army is an army after all, monster or no. And Loki's powers and tactics would be an asset...  
But Loki didn't necessarily have the best track record. He could easily betray them, and he could be lying. Clint certainly wouldn't be a big fan of working with him- none of the Avengers would. And Nico couldn't lie- Loki sometimes reminded Nico of himself, and not in a good way either.   
And yet...  
Something told Nico that he could trust Loki to help them.   
"Well..." Nico said.   
"No way," Clint said disbelievingly. "You can't be saying- you're not actually thinking of letting him join, are you?"  
"I don't like it," Nico replied softly, not meeting Clint's gaze. "But I think that we can trust him to keep his promise."  
"Besides," Steve said. "It was sort of prophesied."  
Clint groaned in annoyance. "Fine." He glared at Loki. "But I'm gonna keep an eye on him."  
Loki smiled that cocky, shit-eating smile of his. "Can't keep your eyes off me, eh, Barton?"  
Nat sucker punched him. "Don't flirt with my fiancé." She said it offhandedly, but there was a killer glint in her eyes.   
Loki cradled his bleeding nose. "Sorry," he squeaked.   
Nico took a deep breath. "I, Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, give Loki Laufeyson permission to enter Camp Half-Blood."  
"How did you know my last name?" Loki asked in surprise.   
"I'm just good like that. Now come with me- we need to talk about our quest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's Loki-poo! I mean, uh, Loki, fearsome ruler of Asgard.  
> Nah. I mean Loki-poo. FIGHT ME, LAUFEYSON!
> 
> Tony ships Clintasha, because who doesn't ship Clintasha? Well, besides Joss Whedon I guess, but that's stupid so
> 
> Tbh i only brought Loki in now bc I kept forgetting about him. 
> 
> Me: *is toying with the idea of making Loki genderfluid*  
> Me: *wants to make sure I write that right if I do*  
> Me: I suffer.


	11. Return of the Idiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations will be at the bottom ksjfd
> 
> I used shitty google translate so, like, sorry if the Italian and/or Greek is off
> 
>  
> 
> This is really choppy I cry.

"So," Nico said, his feet kicked up on the ping pong table. "We have a prophecy and no idea how to get to Menoetius. Any ideas, Loki."

"Prophecy?" Loki questioned with furrowed brows. "What prophecy?"

Nico sighed.

_"Seven must journey to the New World_

_And face the two who have unwillingly turned_

_Mischief will join their forces_

_And so eight shall have many discourses_

_To fight violent anger and rash action_

_The fighters must strengthen their transaction_

_And when in the fight the darkness hovers_

_The two men out of time must fight their lovers_

_And if they succeed then Mnemosyne will grant one request_

_To the hero who passed her nephew's test._

"So yeah," Nico said, "our prophecy."

"But... what...."

Nico rolled his eyes. "We have to go to- what was it? San Salvador Island? Yeah, that's right. We have to go to San Salvador Island, in the Bahamas, where we will have to 'face' Will and Bucky. You've already joined our forces, I guess, and you're going to cause a bunch of fights. To fight Menoetius, we have to strengthen our team bonds. Not quite sure what that whole 'darkness hovers' line refers to, though it'll be obvious when it comes. I'll have to fight Will, Steve will have to fight Bucky, blah blah blah. And if we win, Mnemosyne will grant a favor to the person who freed her."

"Oh." Loki said simply.

"Yeah. Oh." Nico repeated sarcastically. "So what do you think?"

Loki considered. "We should set sail for the Bahamas-"

"Uh, yeah, about that..." Nico said. "We should avoid sailing as much as we can, and definitely no flying."

"Why?" Loki questioned, looking annoyed.

"Well, I'm a child of Hades," Nico shrugged, "My uncles don't necessarily like me traveling in their domain. Poseidon is more chill with it, especially if it's for a quest, but Zeus.... well, he's a bit... _temperamental_."

Thunder rumbled violently over head.

"Oh, shut up," Nico rolled his eyes. "It's true, and at least it's better than Percy calling you a drama queen."

There was another rumble of thunder, though this one sounded like more of a grudging "true" than anything. Thor chuckled amusedly.

"So yeah," Nico shrugged. "We'll have to travel by land as much as possible." It was then something that should have been very obvious occurred to Nico. "Wait, shit," he groaned. "Menoetius is in the Bahamas."

"Yeah, so?" Tony questioned.

"That means it's in the Sea of Monsters."

"Oh, fuck," Clint said, recalling what Percy and Annabeth had said about the place.

"Wait, hold up," Tony said. "I think I missed this part. _What is the Sea of Monsters_?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "You know it as the Bermuda Triangle. All you really need to know is that there's a shit-ton of monsters in that place. Luckily, we won't have to go too far inside. Still, though, we have the dilemma of actually getting in."

"It can't be that hard, can it?"

Nico actually laughed, though it was humorless. "Yes it can. We'll have to go through either the Symplegades - the Clashing Rocks - or the strait of Scylla and Charybdis. Both options are bad, and likely to get us killed."

"Who're... uh..." Tony's face was almost comical as he attempted to recite the names.

"Scylla and Charybdis?" Nico finished. "They're two monstrous sisters. The strait itself is a small passage in between Scylla--a many-headed monster in the rocks that has a tendency to use her heads to snap crew members off the ship-- and Charybdis-- giant mouth in a whirlpool that swallows water, debris and ships. You have to pass.... pretty much perfectly between the two, and even then, it's risky."

"Well, there's probably plenty of space to pass through," Steve said, though his voice wasn't as optimistic as his words.

Nico shook his head. "The sisters are about an arrow's range apart."

"Well, shit." Clint said, absentmindedly fiddling with his bow.

"Is it even possible to pass through?" Natasha asked.

"Yes," Nico said. "Percy did it, remember?"

"What about the Clashing Rocks?" Loki inquired.

"The only people who ever passed through them are Jason and the Argonauts. Or, at least the only people to get through and actually live to tell the tale."

"The bird," Bruce said. Nico nodded. "But we can't use an actual bird. That would just be cruel."

Nico considered. "Well, we could use an automaton... But I don't think any of the Hephaestus campers know how to make one..."

"I can make one," Tony said, looking offended that Nico hadn't thought of him.

"No," Nico said. "The automaton will have to be enchanted, too, and... no offense, but you don't really know how to work with enchanted metal."

"Oh," Tony looked a little put out. "So what are we going to--"

Just then, there was a noise from outside. A loud noise, sounding like an odd combination of a roar and a metallic creak, filled the camp. Nico's eyes widened.

"Quel figlio di una cagna!" Nico said, though he was smiling. "Per sei mesi lui è assente ingiustificato, e poi si fa vedere a destra quando abbiamo bisogno di lui! Giuro agli dei, Piper e Jason sono andando ucciderlo, ma sarò alto-cinque il bastardo sulla strada verso il basso!"*

Natasha laughed.

"What?" Tony asked, looking incredibly confused.

Nico grinned. "Let's go outside."

In the middle of the camp, Festus stood high and mighty. In front of him, Leo stood with his arm around a girl.

Percy was yelling at Leo. "Ηλίθιε! Ήμασταν τόσο ανησυχούν για εσάς!" Percy shouted, probably unaware he'd slipped into Greek. "Θεοί , πώς είσαι ακόμα ζωντανός!?" He paused, and shot a glance towards the girl. "Γεια σου, Καλυψώ." He redirected his gaze to Leo. "Piper και ο Ιάσονας είναι εκεί έξω που αναζητούν για εσάς! Όταν παίρνουν πίσω—" **

"They're going to kill you," Nico said, still grinning. He made his way towards Leo. "Hey. Oh, by the way, Percy—" he turned towards his cousin. "—you're speaking in Greek."

Leo gulped. While Leo and Nico both considered each other friends, he was still a little creeped out by Nico.

"Hey, Nico," Leo said, sounding a little uneasy.

Nico saw no need to hide his intentions. "I need your help."

Leo grinned, easing up a little. "Sure. Just give me a minute to check in with my siblings and stuff an— _holymotherofZeusisthatTonyfreakingStark_?!"

Tony grinned. "Hey, kid. I've heard a lot about you."

Leo looked about ready to pass out in glee.

"Anyway," Nico said, amused. "IM the rest of the Seven, then meet us in the Council Room, where we'll make introductions and tell you what we need."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nico di Angelo knew the Avengers— knew _Tony Stark_ , someone Leo had admired ever since he'd heard he was Iron Man. That man was a genius— Leo had never liked his weapons building, mainly due to the fact a lot of the Conservative assholes he'd had as foster parents in Texas praised it. But then he took a turn for the better. He made that super awesome suit, he'd run a building on only an Arc Reactor, and oh, gods, Leo could go all day talking about the things Tony Stark had made.

But Nico was right. He needed to IM the others.

"Who first?" Calypso asked, smiling amusedly at him.

Leo decided to contact Hazel and Frank first, as they were least likely to try and strangle him through Iris Messaging.

"Hey, Butch!" He called.

The Iris camper turned and looked at him. "You want some rainbows?" Butch guessed.

"Please?"

Butch smiled. "Sure."

Leo threw a drachma in, recalling the words Percy had told him to recite back on the Argo II. "O Fleecy, do me a solid and show me Hazel and Frank at Camp Jupiter."

The rainbow formed an image of the two Romans—Leo was thankful they were actually together—sitting at a cafe table, drinking coffee.

"¡Hola, mis amigos!" Leo called. "How have you been hanging with out your super awesome Bad Boy Extraordinaire?"

Their heads snapped towards him.

"Leo?" Hazel asked incredulously. "Is that really you?"

"The one and only!" Leo gave a mock bow.

"Where have you been, man?" Frank said, still trying to get over his shock.

Leo waved a hand. "Oh you know. Ogygia, London, Paris— around."

Hazel looked a _little_ angry. "You mean you went _sight seeing_ instead of _letting us know you're alive_!?"

Leo wavered. "Uh... yeah... Anyway, have you met Calypso!?" He pushed Calypso in front of him.

"Leo, I am not going to hide you from your friends." Calypso said, sounding both stern and amused.

"Hi Calypso," Hazel said, smiling genuinely (though there was still some anger in her eyes). "I'm Hazel."

"I'm Frank," Frank said, looking a little awkward.

"Leo," Hazel said sweetly. "Have you IMed Jason and Piper yet?"

"... No."

Hazel's face was set in an angry smile. "Do that right now. They're in Dallas."

"See you, Leo." Frank said, smiling faintly. "We should all meet up, sometime."

Frank waved his hand through the IM, disconnecting it.

 

"Good luck," Butch laughed as he made another rainbow. Taking a deep breath, Leo threw in another drachma. "O Fleecy, do me a solid and show me Piper and Jason in Dallas, Texas."

This time, the image was split down the middle. Piper looked to be in a ranch, whilst Jason was outside a house that was, sadly, very familiar.

"Nothing from his aunt—" Jason spluttered to a stop, eyes wide.

"Leo?"

"Oh my gods!" Piper exclaimed. "Leo! You're back!"

"Yep," Leo squeaked. He tried to sound confident. "Back and kicking."

Jason smiled, relieved. "Where are you, man?"

"Back at Camp."

"Where have you been!?" Piper asked, blinking tears out of her eyes. "We were so worried!"

"Uhhm," Leo's voice was very very high.

Calypso grinned wickedly. "Well, after he picked me up, we went to London, Paris, Kiev... 'around'."

"Aww, baby, why'd you throw me under the bus like that?"

"Don't call me baby."

"Leo." Piper said. "Why didn't you tell us you were alive."

"...It slipped my mind?" It sounded more like a question.

"Okay." Jason said, shrugging.

"I know, I know, that's a stupid reason, and—" Leo stopped mid-sentence. "Wait, _okay_?!"

"Yeah," Piper said. "I mean, we're obviously a little peeved about it, but we get it."

"You do?" Leo said, relaxing a little.

"Yeah, man." Jason grinned. "You died, you came back to life, you found that island and got your girlfriend... I could see how you'd get caught up in being with her."

"So... you're _not_ going to kill me?" Leo asked, hopeful."

"No," Piper smiled wickedly. "As much as we'd like to, it would kind of defeat the purpose. Besides, what's life without your Repair Boy?"

"So, when will you guys be back?" Calypso asked. "I'd like to meet Leo's friends in person."

"Uhm...." Jason looked at Piper via IM. "Pipe's dad is making us stay with him in LA for some movie premiere, so... We should be back in a week or two."

Piper nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right. See you, Valdez."

The Iris Message dissipated. Leo started his short walk towards the Big House, thinking.

Nico looked a lot less creepy than he was six months ago. He looked sad still, but it was a different sad than had consumed the guy before Leo'd died. Almost as if he had been happy, but then he'd had it ripped away.

Leo shook his head. He was thinking about this too much.

He threw the door to the "conference room" open, stating in a sing-song voice: "I'm here!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the Big House, Nico was bombarded with questions.

"Isn't Leo supposed to be dead?"

"Yeah, I thought you said he died defeating the Earth Mother."

"What's up with the big dragon? That's so cool!"

"WHAT IS THIS 'CHEESE WHIZ'?"

Nico held up a hand. "Okay, calm down, guys. Nat, Clint: Leo _did_ die, but I guess he somehow took the Physician's Cure. Tony: that's Festus. He was made long before my time. Leo fixed him when he went haywire. Thor: It's synthetic cheese that you usually eat on crackers or something. No need to shout about it."

Just then, an Iris Message popped up.

"Nico!" Hazel shouted.

Nico blinked. "Hey."

"Leo's back!"

"I know. I'm at camp."

"Oh. Who're those gu— oh my goodness! That's _Captain America!_ "

"Hi," Steve smiled. "You must be Hazel, Nico's sister."

Hazel blushed. "I—yes. It's nice to meet you—kind of."

"Likewise." Steve nodded.

"Where's Will?" Hazel teased, once she'd regained herself. "You two are nearly inseparable."

Nico bit back tears. "He's... uhm..."

"Nico? What happened?"

Natasha gave Hazel a short explanation. "We're on a quest. Will was taken by Menoetius who... brainwashed him. We're trying to get Will and Bucky back, free Mnemosyne, and inhibit Menoetius."

"Oh." Hazel said simply. "Gods. Nico I— wait, I thought Bucky had died." She looked at Nico. "Did— Is he like—"

"Like you?" Nico finished. Hazel nodded. "No."

"Oh." Hazel decided not to ask further. Instead, she veered down another path. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Nico shrugged passively. Hazel looked unimpressed. "Fine. No, I'm not okay. But if I focus too much on... yeah... I'll be a lot worse off."

Hazel accepted this. "Alright. Well, I'd better be going. Lessons and such. Bye, Nico."

"Bye, Hazel."

Around him, there was a chorus of 'goodbyes', even from Loki.

Nico waved his hand through the rainbow just as Leo barged in.

"I'm here!" Leo said in a sing-song voice. He looked at Nico. "What's up?"

"My boyfriend's been kidnapped, mind-washed, and most likely told to fight me. What's up with you?"

"Boyfriend?" Leo asked. "Who?"

"Will Solace."

"Oh, hey, he showed me around camp. He's pretty cool. Congratulations, man." Then, Leo seemed to realize what he said. "I mean, uh, on the whole 'dating him' thing. Not the current situation." Leo seemed to decide he should stop. "Sorry."

Nico raised a brow. "Death changed you a little."

"No," Calypso said. "I think he's just a little scared of you."

Nico shrugged. "A lot of people are." Still, though, it hurt a little.

"Anyway," Natasha said, sending a sharp glare in Leo's direction. "We need you to make us a bird to pass the Symplegades before us."

"I mean, sure, I'll do it, but couldn't Stark?"

Nico shook his head. "It needs to be enchanted so that it give off signs of life."

"Oh, okay. That should be easy," Leo waved his hand in dismissal. "It should be easy in a day or two."

"Great." Nico said. He turned towards his questmates. "So how the fuck are we gonna get down to Mexico?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * That son of a bitch!For six months he is AWOL , and then he shows up right when we need him! I swear to the gods, Piper and Jason are going to kill him, but I will high-five the bastard on the way down!
> 
> ** You idiot We were so worried about you! Gods, how are you still alive!? Hi, Calypso. Piper and Jason are out there looking for you! When they get back--
> 
>  
> 
> LEO IS BACK! HE'S SUCH A FUCKING NERD I NEED TO FIGHT HIM
> 
> Thor and Zeus would fight and have passive-agressive "who can produce a better thunder storm" contests until, finally, the other gods took pity on the mortals and made a chore wheel. 
> 
> The only reason Thor hadn't found out about Cheese Whiz earlier was because Natasha personally destroyed every bottle Tony purchased.
> 
> OKAY I KNOW THAT HAZEL TECHNICALLY WOULDN'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT CAPTAIN AMERICA, WHAT WITH HER TIMELINE, BUT SHHH WE CHANGE THIS. NICO AND HAZEL BOTH USED TO HAVE HUGE-ASS CRUSHES ON HIM AND THEY BONDED OVER THAT.
> 
> LOKI IS SLOWLY INTEGRATING INTO THE GROUP WHAT A FUCKING DICK HE NEEDS TO FIGHT ME
> 
> Okay I swear Will and Bucky are okay (for now). Well. As okay you CAN be when you're kidnapped. And brainwashed. Yeeeaaaahh.
> 
> Can you do a two way IM? Idk.  
> Why is everyone saying "oh", like it's the goddamned Wizard of Oz? IDK  
> What am I doing with my life? Writing bad fic, apparently.

**Author's Note:**

> A bajillion chapters in and I still don't really know what's going on don't you just LOVE writing?  
> I'm sorry this is bad it gets better I swear
> 
>  
> 
> "Apollo said I needed to come along" aka I love Rachel and needed her to be in it 
> 
>  
> 
> PS I stole a bunch of shit off Tumblr.com so


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